Old Princethorpians

The latest issue (number 19) of The Pinnacle out this week showcases more of our pupils excellent work. 

This edition includes updates on our da Vinci programme and showcases flair across all subjects and year groups, from Shakespeare to robotics and from origami to essays on ‘what it means to be human’.

The design for our stunning front cover, War Games, has been executed by Upper Sixth Form Art student, Charlotte Cuningham.

The Minnacle pages are equally impressive with tremendous work by Crackley Hall pupils from Reception to Junior 6.

Copies are being distributed to all pupils via their Form Tutors.

Click below if you would like to download a copy of The Pinnacle and here if you would like to see The Minnacle.

Helen Pascoe-Williams
Co-ordinator of the da Vinci Programme

Pinnacle for web March 2016.pdf

Crackley Hall School welcomed the Right Reverend Robert Byrne, Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Birmingham to officially open their two million pound, state of the art, east end development. The superb new multi-purpose hall, additional classrooms, specialist music teaching rooms and gallery gained its name from a nod to the original house standing on the former site owned by Sir Bernard Docker of The Daimler Company.

With the new building sympathetically designed to incorporate stained glass windows and a ceiling boss from what used to be St Joseph’s Convent’s former Chapel, there are plenty of reminders for pupils and staff of the building’s heritage.

In the Celebration Mass, Bishop Robert Byrne welcomed invited guests and dignitaries including Kenilworth Mayor and Mayoress, Michael and Janice Coker, and former Head Teachers of Crackley Hall School, St Joseph’s and Abbotsford School. The words of the final Communion Reflection, read by pupils Dari Kotlarsky and Emily Hennegan, reflected the Bishop’s message that, “God is an architect. He is the cement that brings everything together - a joint to hold everyone firm.” And with those building metaphors aptly in place, along with the offering of symbolic Gifts brought to the altar including a brick and a student council badge, Bishop Byrne blessed the The Gables leaving pupils with the final thought that lifelong learning is something they should cherish.

Crackley Hall Head Master, Mr Rob Duigan, led the formal unveiling of a plaque by Bishop Robert Byrne with Councillor Coker making a vote of thanks, “Crackley Hall is a very important part of the town of Kenilworth, and it is wearing my formal badge of office that I would like to thank the school for all that it contributes. As a former parent of what was then St Joseph’s Convent, I am well aware of the special place that the school continues to have within the community.”

The day of celebration continued with a series of informal musical presentations as well as open house for parents to enjoy refreshments whilst looking around the new site.

Crackley Head Master, Mr Duigan went on, “This morning’s Mass was a tribute to the children who took part. The altar servers, the readers and the choir performed superbly. To see the space so full of life that a year ago was just a drawing on a page is such a joy. The Gables will provide a wonderful learning space for many generations to come.”

Old Princethorpians were an integral part of the success of this year's Careers Fair on Saturday 12 March, with many new and familiar faces sharing their knowledge and experience as either speakers or exhibitors. Feedback on the event has been extremely positive and we are immensely grateful to all of them for their input.

Keynote Speaker, Mrs Alexandra Fraser, Chief Creative at Media Production Company ‘7Wonder’, opened the careers fair with a thumping speech detailing how young people today can ‘have it all’. A capacity audience of eight hundred listened to Alex, a Princethorpe parent, as she outlined her media trajectory from the BBC Graduate Training Scheme, some thirty years ago, to becoming Chief Executive of Maverick TV responsible for programmes such as ‘How to Look Good Naked’ and ‘10 Years Younger’ to where she is today; a mother of three and Chief Creative at her new company ‘7Wonder’.

The tone of Alex’s inspiring introduction to this, the College’s third Careers Fair, was pretty straightforward; work hard, believe in what you do and be kind to those you meet along the way. Describing the ‘big-life changing moment‘ of leaving school as a ‘fantastic opportunity to throw yourself into something you love’, Alex reeled off a head spinning CV of the exotic places she’s visited whilst filming. The warmth felt for her profession was evident as was her pride in being able to successfully combine her number one priority, family, alongside rewarding deserving colleagues for their contributions to the companies she’s run.

Alex put paid to the well-worn aphorism, ‘you can’t have it all’ and reminded young people that ‘few of us want it all, whatever that means, but we should never stop trying to fulfil all our dreams’. She iterated that in the best circumstances, a well-chosen career was one that would become a loved, integral part of one’s life, not simply a means to raking in the cash. With her final salutation making a nod to the adage, ‘you get out of life what you put in to it’, Alex left the audience with a ‘talking heads’ video clip of bespoke careers advice from the likes of Radio DJ’s Annie Mac and Sara Cox, actor Lennie Henry, presenter Kate Humble and Dragon’s Den Theo Pahitis. A vote of thanks from Princethorpe Headmaster, Ed Hester, was delivered before pupils and parents attended the careers sessions they had signed up for.

Over forty speakers, including current and former parents and Old Princethorpians, gave of their time to present on a wide variety of careers and professions. From Accountancy and Law to Medicine and Childcare, individualised presentations gave listeners the chance to research jobs, listen to advice and ask questions.

The Sixth Form Centre morphed into a pop up Exhibition with representatives from organisations such as Jaguar Land Rover, Rolls Royce, Aldi and the Armed Forces. There were representatives on hand to give advice on gap years, general careers advice and medical school guidance. University representatives from many of the country’s leading centres of excellence were on hand to discuss entries, courses and career routes.

The diversity of speakers from Old Princethorpians to invited guests created a real networking buzz across the campus. It was lovely to see pupils clutching goodie bags and chatting excitedly about information they’d just discovered.

There’s no doubt that in an ever competitive market of employment and higher education, events such as the Careers Fair puts our students’ feet on the first rung of career possibilities. Headmaster, Ed Hester, left listeners with a sage anecdote citing Beatles’ Producer George Martin whose own career took flight after taking a chance on four young boys’ dreams to ‘have it all;’ “Take every opportunity,” he implored, “and never waste a moment to pursue the dream that you’ve worked hard for.”

Princethorpe College is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Michael Reddish as Head of Sixth Form with effect from September 2016. Michael Reddish will become a member of the Senior Management Team and the Foundation Executive Committee. He will be responsible for the pastoral and academic well-being of Sixth Formers and additionally will establish a new department offering Law as an A-level subject.

Michael is an inspiring, eloquent and exceptionally well-qualified teacher with outstanding academic credentials and is currently Head of Year 11, Head of Law and Head of Critical Thinking at Coventry’s King Henry VIII School, where he has been in post since 2007; he has also been the school’s Oxbridge co-ordinator. He is absolutely committed to the delivery of the highest possible standards of pupil guidance and will challenge Princethorpe students to be the best that they can be, helping them to lay down strong intellectual, spiritual and moral roots on which they can depend for life.

Headmaster, Ed Hester comments: “Michael Reddish joins Princethorpe at a very successful time when the foundation has a record roll, a rapidly rising academic profile and has invested over £7m in facilities during the past two years. Michael will build on the superb work achieved by the current post holder, Margaret Robinson, who retires in December after 27 years’ outstanding service.

In his early forties and married to Laura, who is an English teacher, they have two young children Thomas (3) and Isabel (5). Michael gained an LLB from Warwick where he was the top student in his year, followed by an LLM from Harvard in 1998 and a PhD, also from Warwick, where he was a British Academy Scholar. He is currently Principal Examiner in Law for the OCR examination board. He additionally gained a PGCHE in 2006 and was an Associate Professor at Warwick University Law School from 1998 to 2007. At King Henry VIII, Michael Reddish currently runs the Japanese Society, and the Law, Politics and Economics Society.

Originally from Matlock in Derbyshire, but now living in south Warwickshire, Michael Reddish was a Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation Special Scholar from 1995 to 1997 and lived in Tokyo. He enjoys keeping fit and active and has recently taken up road biking. He has a love for art and music, enjoys exploring new technology and is an enthusiastic follower of national and international current affairs. He also maintains an interest in Japanese culture and is a keen photographer.

In accepting his appointment, Michael Reddish said: “It is a great privilege to take on the role of Head of Sixth Form at Princethorpe College, especially at such an exciting time in its history. Princethorpe is a very special community and I am hugely looking forward to being part of the team and helping to prepare Princethorpe Sixth Formers for the next stages in their lives.

Princethorpe College is delighted to announce the appointment of Mrs Elizabeth (Beth) Sharpe as Deputy Head (Pastoral) with effect from September 2016. Beth Sharpe will become a member of the Senior Management Team and the Foundation Executive Committee. She will be responsible for leading the outstanding pastoral care of all pupils across the school and additionally will teach in the Technology Department.

Beth is fluent, adaptable, confident, inspiring and a multi-skilled teacher with a commitment and passion for the delivery of the highest possible standards of pupil care. Currently Senior Assistant Headteacher (Pastoral) at North Leamington School, where she has worked for the last twenty years, Beth Sharpe comes with a wealth of experience in providing an inclusive education, celebrating diversity, individuality, engaged learning, good health, safeguarding and emotional well–being. She also fully aligns with the unique ethos of the foundation, is approachable, thoughtful and has a fine sense of humour.

Headmaster, Ed Hester comments “Beth Sharpe joins Princethorpe at an exciting time when we have a record roll and full acknowledgement in our last ISI inspection of the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of our pupils as being a key strength of the school. Beth will build on the outstanding work achieved over the last nine years by the current post holder, Sue Millest who retires in July and indeed she comes from a very similar background. The main premise of our pastoral care is that every child really does matter; if children are happy, healthy and safe they are likely to learn in the most effective way.”

Married and in her mid-forties, with three school-age children, Beth Sharpe graduated from the University of North London in 1995, completing a PGCE in Design & Technology and PE & Games a year later. In 2014 she was awarded a Master’s degree from Wolverhampton in Special Educational Needs and Inclusion. At North Leamington, over the years, she has variously been a Head of Year, assumed leadership for safeguarding, driven the programme for newly qualified teachers and latterly been in charge of the school’s pastoral system and the recruitment of pupils, in addition to a wide variety of high-level operational responsibilities.

Originally from Belfast, Beth Sharpe is a keen walker and keep-fit fanatic. She has worked enthusiastically back-stage making the costumes for We will rock you and spare time is generally either spent at the touch lines of sporting activities or at the stables with her children.

In accepting her appointment, Beth Sharpe said “It is a huge privilege to be offered the opportunity to be the new Deputy Head (Pastoral) at Princethorpe College and I am excited to be part of a school which puts pastoral care at the heart of its overall vision. I look forward to playing my part in ensuring that Princethorpe continues to be a truly outstanding school, where every student is able to thrive as part of a happy, enriching and ambitious community.”

A brave band of OPs battled through snow flurries to make it to the OPs Leamington Pub Meet on Friday 4 March.

We were in the comfortable upstairs function room of the Royal Pug on Regent Street, a new but popular venue for the OPs. Everyone enjoyed catching up over a delicious buffet and the odd drink. As well as OPs from across the generations, including new attendees such as Ollie McGrath, Ian Brown, Jaspar Rose, Beth Plant and Lottie Jones, there were familiar faces including Peter Rollason and his wife Moira, Paul and Martin Gallagher and Paul's daughter Hannah, Kevin Cahill, Dave White, Paul McGrath, Jan Matthew and Mark Dudley.

There were representatives from amongst the staff and former staff too, including the Headmaster, Ed Hester, Tracey Hester, Alex Darkes, Eddie Tolcher, Steve White, Peter Griffin and Ed MacFetridge, who had recently celebrated his 60th birthday.

The next OPs Pub Meet is in London on Friday 10 June from 6.30pm at the Old Tea Warehouse, Aldgate, EC3A 5AY, interest is growing in this event and we hope to see lots of OPs there!

Old Princethorpians and Friends of Princethorpe are invited to pre-order a copy of the special Golden Jubilee Book - A Spirit of Family: a portrait of the first fifty years of Princethorpe College by Nick Baker and Alex Darkes.

To mark the College’s Golden Jubilee, Nick Baker (Foundation Archivist) and Alex Darkes (Assistant Head) have written a book charting the school’s history from 1966 to the present day. With over 200 photographs from the archive, many reproduced in full colour, this book looks at different aspects of College life: the environment; teaching and learning; music; liturgy; sport; drama; celebrations; beyond the classroom and Old Princethorpians.

There are also short introductions to the other institutions associated with Princethorpe, such as St Mary’s Priory, St Bede’s College, St Joseph’s Convent (now Crackley Hall), Feldon and Abbotsford schools.

Those pre-ordering copies of the book, will be able to have their name or that of a loved one added to a list of subscribers printed at the back.

Here's a sneak preview from the frontspiece:

It’s 1792 and the stormy political backdrop in France, against which church property has been nationalised and solemn vows ended, forces a group of Benedictine nuns to flee the country in search of asylum. Their planned destination is Flanders, but the journey is too risky and instead they cross the Channel and end up in Brighton. For the next forty years or so they stay briefly in various places including London, Norfolk, Yorkshire, Lancashire before finally settling in Princethorpe, where they construct St Mary’s Priory in 1832, which is the first post-reformation monastery to be built in England.

The nuns lead a contemplative life and run a small girls’ boarding school for over one-hundred-and-thirty years until dwindling vocations and falling pupil numbers force them to sell the priory and seek a smaller house in Oxfordshire. In the meantime, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart who opened a boys’ school in Leamington the 1950s, which they were now rapidly outgrowing, buy the priory from the Benedictines, opening Princethorpe College with under two hundred pupils in 1966, rising to nearly nine hundred in 2016.

This book tells the fascinating story of the school, its pupils, staff and friends during its first half century and is the first major work to emerge from Princethorpe since the History of the Benedictines of St Mary’s Priory published in 1930.

The book costs £20 per copy, which can be collected during Princefest or from the College or alternatively posted to you at the additional charge of £5.00 for postage and packing. To guarantee that your name is included, all orders must be received by Friday 8 July.

Please email nickbaker@princethorpe.co.uk to register your interest in the book.

Over the last twelve months or so we have increased the resource at Princethorpe to look after Old Princethorpians and friends of the school. Loretta Curtis, who stood down as registrar last summer has been working to establish a new contact database and this has entailed going back through all of the admissions registers back to 1966 and in many cases keying details into the new system. The database is now live and will help us to keep in touch with you. We are also delighted to announce the appointment of Mrs Rachel Hadley-Leonard as Foundation Development Director with effect from June 2016. This is a new post to lead the foundation’s fund-raising initiative making the Princethorpe and Crackley Hall experience more accessible to pupils from all backgrounds. Rachel will join the existing strong team responsible for marketing, admissions, alumni and feeder school liaison.

An inspiring, charismatic and energetic professional, with a distinguished track record of philanthropy in schools, Rachel was involved with assisting in setting up the development office in her current role. Coming initially from a teaching background, she trained in English and PE, assuming responsibility for Learning Support at Solihull School before going full-time into marketing, progressing up the ladder to Head of Marketing, with additional responsibility as Director of Development and Alumni Relations.

Ed Hester, commented “I am delighted that Rachel has accepted the post. We know that she will be very able in raising the profile of our fund-raising, enabling further bursary support for those children who will excel with a Princethorpe education, but whose families face real financial hardship, which would otherwise deny them such a life-changing opportunity. Ultimately, we are also keen to raise funds for capital projects which will enhance the facilities available to current and future pupils.”

Rachel Hadley-Leonard is married to teacher Nick, who is also Commanding Officer of the CCF at Solihull; they have two children Charlie (17) and Emma (15), and live only a short distance from Princethorpe. Rachel is a keen ski leader, passionate about literature – both reading and writing – and was one of the 2012 London Olympics volunteers at Eton Dorney. She is a Board Director of AMDIS, the association which represents admissions, marketing and development in independent schools and was made Chair in 2015.

In accepting the post Rachel said “I am delighted to be joining The Princethorpe Foundation. I care passionately about education and understand its major contribution to society; in particular, the importance of affording less fortunate children the opportunity to thrive in an excellent learning environment such as Princethorpe College and Crackley Hall. I have a genuine understanding of the independent sector, both as a professional within it and as a parent of two children attending an independent school. I also believe that the best education is one which strives to care for its pupils not just for those years spent at school, but also beyond, forming a lifelong relationship.”

This is all very timely as Old Princethorpians Secretary, Melanie Butler, has considerably raised the profile of OPs over the last decade and the committee has established a regular programme of events. With the College celebrating its Golden Jubilee in the year 2016-17 and more events added to the programme including Princefest over the weekend of 3 and 4 September 2016, we hope to be able to welcome a record number of past pupils, current pupils, families and friends.

Shortly, it will be possible to update your details online and also order tickets and other merchandise. We will be writing to you very soon to give you a logon and password.

Tickets for Princefest, the College's Golden Jubilee flagship event - a fun-packed weekend of sport, music, food and friendship designed to kick-start the year will go on sale on Saturday 14 May.

A range of tickets will be available for the event which will be held over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday 4 September. The tickets have been priced to be affordable and crucially include unlimited funfair rides on the Saturday, something we hope will have a wide appeal. Early bird discounted tickets will be available until midnight Sunday 19 June.

On the Saturday the playground will be transformed into a funfair with rides and amusements. Food, drink and shopping stalls will be sited on the Lime Walk and around the College grounds. There will be pop-up music during the day and the main festival stage will be in the Orchard for a packed afternoon and evening programme aimed at a wide range of musical tastes.

The OPs vs College sports fixtures will run from 12.00 noon to 6.00pm during the day. As well as Netball and Boys and Girls Hockey, there will be the John Shinkwin Trophy Rugby, which sees the College First XV playing the leavers of 2016 and 15, we will also be hosting the OPs vs Kenilworth Babas Alex Wallis Memorial Match later on the same afternoon.  Those interested in playing should contact Director of Sport, Neil McCollin.

The Saturday evening will culminate in a grand firework finale. Revellers wishing to continue the party in Leamington can take advantage of one way coach transport to Leamington at 11.00pm. This needs to be booked in advance with your tickets.

Overnight family camping will be available Saturday into Sunday, all camping tickets include breakfast on the Sunday morning from the tuck shop in the price.

Sunday will be a more relaxed affair with a celebratory Mass in the Chapel, followed by a delicious hog roast brunch, tours of the school and a chance to catch up with friends.

Tickets will be sent out by post in the form of wristbands in the middle of August.

In order to book tickets you need to be registered on the booking site which you will be able to access from a page on the College website, click here. We are using PayPal to enable online bookings, with either your PayPal account if you have one, or your credit or debit card, If using your credit or debit card you need to opt for 'Check out as a PayPal guest'.

Comments, Headmaster, Ed Hester, "The release of Princefest tickets is eagerly awaited and we would urge all OPs, former parents and friends of Princethorpe to join us for what promises to be an amazing weekend. The event is open to the wider Princethorpe community including friends and family, so please do spread the word!"

We are in the process of finalising music acts, food stalls and shopping stalls if any Old Princethorpians are interested in getting involved, performing or having a stall, please email goldenjubilee@princethorpe.co.uk.